An assessment of the level of awareness of the influence of tourism on the health conditions of locals in and around the Maasai Mara national reserve, Kenya

Abstract

This paper examines the level of awareness on diseases that occur among local communities that can be linked to tourism activities based on a study conducted in and around the Maasai Mara National Reserve (MMNR). The study population constituted of local communities in the area. In this regard, purposive and simple random sampling procedures were employed. The study design was a cross-sectional survey utilizing observation, key informant interviews, analysis of secondary data and semi-structure interviews as main methods of data collection. An interview schedule was used as the main instrument of data collection during the study. Both qualitative and quantitative techniques of data analysis were employed. From the study findings, awareness of disease prevalence as a function of tourism was high. As such, it was recommended that the host community should be encouraged to take initiatives to ensure that they enjoy good health by being proactive rather than reactive to their health issues.